PT's anyone?

[Bosch]

the PT Cruiser is kinda growing on me, when it came out, i thought it was weird, now... it's starting to get a bit... charming
then, i've got a passion for cars that people hate, well... to an extent... i still don't like the Aztec.

The Aztec is still vomit on wheels, don't worry about it not growing on you. Cause if it did it would be like a fungus - ewww...

 

[Mischief007]

I didn't mean work as far as getting the components to cooperate, obviously getting an LSx motor to 700hp is much easier than a 1.8liter. I meant as far as traction goes, it is my understanding that FWD will always have less accelerating traction (especially off the line) than an RWD. Also I suspect torque steer would become quite problematic and would require some serious mods to deal with.

The serious FWDs I've seen had no issues and they are running 12s and 11s. It depends on each car. I've seen a MK3 Supra struggle for traction and he wasn't even hitting big power numbers.

You want to laugh that's fine, I'm a grown woman you are not going to send me off to a corner to cry - I will throw wrenches back at you

Mods:
Its Stage 1 PCM = Mopar aftermarket computer, Dual Stage Boost Controler, AGP Wategate Accuator, Intake, Exhaust, Filled Motor Mounts, Solid FWD control Arms, Lowered on Eibach springs/Tokico shocks/struts, Hurst STS.. Not much really but it cooks...

It has the same motor as the SRT4-Neon its just the PT is heavier so a little slower to start with. And the SRT4 attacts way more attention with the same mods the PT does, its a sleeper and I like that about it.. Cops don't bug me - always good.

The quaife - is something I have thought seriously about, but the budget won't allow it right now. But yeah its sweet part.. Give me the grand USD and I will get it in the car next week!

The Chromie rims on the back were on the car when I bought it and are now gone, the front tires/tyres are low since its wearing its drag radial tires in the posted pic with about 15psi in them very low pressure to increase traction bite at launch..

No need to get into the FWD vs RWD for racing, I don't do it seriously I just go to have fun with it. I know I get killed by bigger things at the track, I just happen to have the best seat in the house to watch them run.

I also consider my PT one of the slower ones out there, buddies of mine run 12s and one in Vancouver is shooting for a 10 second pass, he's already mid 11's with his stereo equipment in the car... You don't really know what's out there til you line up against it...

Looking good Bosch. What is your actual 1/4 mile time?

 

[Bosch]

Best one I ran was a 13.89 I'm happy where its at it gives me a goofy smile when I stomp on it so its fast enough.

 

[Mischief007]

Best one I ran was a 13.89 I'm happy where its at it gives me a goofy smile when I stomp on it so its fast enough.

Sweet. Yes I know that feeling. I get that feeling everytime I go WOT with the supercharger screaming. I'm hoping to be in the 13s with a couple of small mods this summer. I already shed off 3 tenths just by changing mufflers and a 180 thermostat.

 

[Spectre]

High 13's are fast in the PT Cruiser world?

That's fast in the FWD world.

(Which, come to think of it, is much like the Special Olympics, for the most part.)

You gotta remember that they usually spend their first two seconds lighting up the tires to some degree instead of hooking and leaving.

 

[Bosch]

You gotta remember that they usually spend their first two seconds lighting up the tires to some degree instead of hooking and leaving.

Most of my mods have been done to combat just that, the lowered suspension, the Filled Motor mounts, the SOLID FWD control arms, just lock that car down, give it a good hot sticky set of Drag Radial Tires and I can hook. Slicks are just awsome to launch on, just not quite there yet though. Now its the stock clutch that has given up on me so a Centerforce is in the garage just waiting to go in, when funds allow..

I wanted to have fun with a car that was cheap to insure and wouldn't be target for every Civic or cop on the block. And its a sleeper love it

 

[Sony]

Have you put it on a dyno ? What bhp does it put out, around 300 i assume ?

I had a car with only 200 bhp fwd and in the rain, bad asphalt, or with bad tires it would quite often really annoy me because I couldnt use half the bhp I had.

 

[prizrak]

The serious FWDs I've seen had no issues and they are running 12s and 11s. It depends on each car. I've seen a MK3 Supra struggle for traction and he wasn't even hitting big power numbers.

Like I said the question is how much more difficult is it to make an FWD hook vs RWD. You can get a Civic and a 240sx to run 11s but the question is how hard do you have to work at it.

 

[stevanford1]

This car is pretty cool. (for a PT cruiser) Do you run 13s with a full interior or is it gutted ?

 

[Bosch]

This car is pretty cool. (for a PT cruiser) Do you run 13s with a full interior or is it gutted ?

I dump the spare tire, jack and rear seats(which do come out like mini-van seats) and front floormats, other than that full interior in it. Front seats, carpet, trim, glass all factory. I leave the stuff in the pits along with my street tires have a blast for a few runs pack it all back up and go home..

Dyno numbers have been all over the place cause I've had it dnyo'd in two very different places, in CA where its frickin hotter than hell it came out 285/315 hp/Torque up here in Washington 335/345 hp/Torque in the 2nd stage 18psi of boost. Fuel is always a mix of 91-101(CA) or 93-101(WA). I had it on the dyno enough to know I wasn't going to lean it out and got my WGA tuned to work with the boost controller got that dialed in took it to the track and beat the crap out of it.. Just did a double check up here in WA since the climate is sooo different and to check out a the speeds shops out here.

Its a keeper, its cheap to insure, people never expect it, I like it that way. Less attention the better, my dad taught me that cause when you want attention its easy to get it but to get away with it you need to not be noticed.

 

[Bosch]

Like I said the question is how much more difficult is it to make an FWD hook vs RWD. You can get a Civic and a 240sx to run 11s but the question is how hard do you have to work at it.

Tires and lowered stiff suspension gets me off the line without lighting them up.. Irwindale I ran the 1/8th mile and I loved it there super sticky from the VHT, cook the DR's nice and hot and wheel spin? What wheel spin? I will switch up to slicks when my DRs wear out.

California Speedway/Dragway is another story, no VHT tract prep its dusty as Iraq= traction issues. Doesn't matter what you do there its still two strips in a parking lot if you have never been there don't bother go to Irwindale they have it down how to prep a track.

Pacific Raceway up here which is an NHRA track I got run it once before my clutch told me "umm don't do that again or you won't get home" so I'm still learning but its smooth. Thus the need for the Centerforce.

 

[TC]

I've been wanting a Stage 1 for my turbo too. But unfortunately I got an automatic. The Stage 1 by itself isn't a problem, but when combined with CAI and cat back exhaust, it seems like the slush boxes tear themselves apart. So I probably won't be modifying my car any and will be trading it in soon. But it really has been a great car. The insurance company considers it only a 2.4L 4 cylinder, so insurance is inexpensive. And they're actually fun to drive, they pull fairly hard, and actually handle fairly well for a tall wagon. And I haven't had a single issue with my car in the 4+ years I've owned it.

Anyway, here is a pic of my car up near Canyon Lake a couple weeks after I bought it.

 

[prizrak]

I dump the spare tire, jack and rear seats(which do come out like mini-van seats) and front floormats, other than that full interior in it. Front seats, carpet, trim, glass all factory. I leave the stuff in the pits along with my street tires have a blast for a few runs pack it all back up and go home..

Dyno numbers have been all over the place cause I've had it dnyo'd in two very different places, in CA where its frickin hotter than hell it came out 285/315 hp/Torque up here in Washington 335/345 hp/Torque in the 2nd stage 18psi of boost. Fuel is always a mix of 91-101(CA) or 93-101(WA). I had it on the dyno enough to know I wasn't going to lean it out and got my WGA tuned to work with the boost controller got that dialed in took it to the track and beat the crap out of it.. Just did a double check up here in WA since the climate is sooo different and to check out a the speeds shops out here.

Its a keeper, its cheap to insure, people never expect it, I like it that way. Less attention the better, my dad taught me that cause when you want attention its easy to get it but to get away with it you need to not be noticed.

Those are pretty impressive numbers.

 

[Bosch]

I've been wanting a Stage 1 for my turbo too. But unfortunately I got an automatic. The Stage 1 by itself isn't a problem, but when combined with CAI and cat back exhaust, it seems like the slush boxes tear themselves apart. So I probably won't be modifying my car any and will be trading it in soon. But it really has been a great car. The insurance company considers it only a 2.4L 4 cylinder, so insurance is inexpensive. And they're actually fun to drive, they pull fairly hard, and actually handle fairly well for a tall wagon. And I haven't had a single issue with my car in the 4+ years I've owned it.

Anyway, here is a pic of my car up near Canyon Lake a couple weeks after I bought it.

Chandler dang this is a small world.. My grandma lives there, I go go over every March except this one since I am broke as a Mofo this year.. Here is mine in AZ on a road trip in Northern AZ 2007.

And yeah the 41te's do tear themselves up but a great trick to keep them stable as long as possible is DON'T UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE BOOST IN 4th or O/D that is what tears up the clutches or the O/D hubs in the trans, that I learned from a builder over on ptcrew.com, seems to work. Knock the auto-stick back to manual and hold it in 3rd and hammer it. Why I also got the Getrag in mine, just couldn't do an auto for fear of it roasting itself..

 

[prizrak]

Hey that's a pretty cool paintjob.

 

[Bosch]

Hey that's a pretty cool paintjob.

It was an upgrade via vandalism came out of my boyfriends apartment one morning to find two Vans shoe prints dead center of my hood, some ahole jumped off the neon I was parked behind on the street, it had matching shoe prints on its deck lid. So after tracking down a used hood a friend did the hood and graphics for me. A subtle nod to the real Mopars of old.. A very modern take on the AAR Hockey stick stripe.

New to me wheels that replaced those chormies I had to wait for years for the girl who had these to give them up. Went wider and deleted the chrome

 

[katwalk]

I like the headlights better whatever you did to them. I would do that to mom's but considering her reaction to my stripes that wouldn't go to well. :lol:
Not to mention it would be a waste to do anything cosmetic like that with the damage from the neighbor crashing his dumb saturn into her.

 

[prizrak]

I like the headlights better whatever you did to them. I would do that to mom's but considering her reaction to my stripes that wouldn't go to well. :lol:
Not to mention it would be a waste to do anything cosmetic like that with the damage from the neighbor crashing his dumb saturn into her.

Looks like she put some tinting tape over them.

 

[frankiess]

I'm happy where its at it gives me a goofy smile when I stomp on it so its fast enough.

I also have a goofy smile on my face when a PT Cruiser drives past.